CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

"When Burgoyne and Casey took over the Southern Cross in 1926, the seating capacity was 1400; under the Hoyts banner, this figure dropped to 1150. There is no mention of the seating capacity in the two preceding reports but Film Weekly Motion Picture Directory for 1948-9 shows the capacity of the Regal as 980 and for 1958-59 as 906."

Film Weekly records the following changes in capacity:
1946/47-1948/49 = 980
1949/50-1951/52 = 986
1952/53-1958/9 = 906

Situated on the corner of Lincoln Road
Demolition date: 1958-59 (Catrice, p. 230)

References
Catrice, D. 1991. Cinemas in Melbourne 1896-1942. Thesis (M.A.) Monash University, 1991.

Cinema & Theatre Historical Society 1997, Cinema index : Melbourne cinemas, suburban cinemas, Victorian drive-ins. CATHS, Victoria.

'The Argus Essendon's new theatre' August 14, 1939 (The Southern Cross Picture Theatre in Buckley Street Exxendon was opened to the public on Saturday night as the Regal Theatre)

Film Weekly, Film Weekly: motion picture directory, Film Weekly, Sydney. 1946/7-1958/9

Lambert, R 1994, 'Southern Cross Theatre, Essendon', CinemaRecord, no. 4, pp.14-7

Lamber, R 1994, 'The Southern Cross Theatre' CinemaRecord, no. 5

Rowland, C 1986, 'Essendon went to the flicks', Messenger, 29 July, p. 21

'New Essendon picture theatre' Argus 28 November 1925 (references the opening (Nov 26) also notes it the forth new theatre opened in the Essendon district in the last year)